After two good home wins this week QPR are back on the road on Saturday with a daunting trip to beaten play off finalists Bristol City.

Bristol City v Queens Park Rangers
Coca Cola Championship
Saturday August 30, Kick Off 3pm
Ashton Gate, Bristol

QPR’s foreign legion takes to the road - take two. A fortnight ago I sat in this very seat and wrote a preview for our game at Sheffield United practically salivating over the prospect of two of the division’s promotion favourites going toe to toe in the league’s outstanding stadium on a sunny Saturday afternoon. I really couldn’t wait. It’s not often I’m positive, regular readers will testify to the fact, but I really was excited about that match and the chance to see just how good QPR’s new look side really was.

On that evidence it’s much the same as it’s predecessors - a festering turd of a team ready to roll over and die at the mere hint of pressure in an away game. What I’d billed as the Championship equivalent of a Hollywood blockbuster turned into the dregs from the cutting room floor at the set of the Keystone Cops. QPR flicked, tricked and danced their way to a sound 3-0 defeat as Sheffield United handed down a harsh lesson in getting the basics right before you try any extravagant nonsense. There really was only one team on the pitch. So disappointing.

Two weeks on and the engine on the bus is ticking over again preparing to take our galaxy of international stars, and Damien Delaney, out west to face Bristol City. To be honest I’m tempted to just copy and paste my introduction from the Sheffield United game because here we have a near carbon copy of that game in prospect. Bristol City are an excellent side at this level, with the division’s outstanding manager at the helm. They play good football and look slick on the ball but they have all the basics in place as well and are unlucky not to be playing Premiership football this season.

Since the Sheffield United debacle QPR have changed their system, reintroduced the vitally important Gavin Mahon ingredient to the midfield mixture and steamrollered Doncaster and Carlisle. City fans may scoff, and in fairness a lot of QPR fans I’ve spoken to this week have referred to our last two visitors to W12 by their new names It’s Only Doncaster Rovers and Well You’d Expect Us to Beat Carlisle United, but while Emmanuel Ledesma was brining a tear of joy to the eye of even the most cynical QPR supporter’s eye on Tuesday night City were being humbled by Lowly Crewe Alexandra. What do I take from this? Nothing at all.

Everybody is excited about our new look team now after a shaky start, this Saturday presents a second chance to show we’re the real deal. It was the lack of basics down the spine of the team and across the back four that did for us at Bramall Lane and all the nutmegs and fancy turns attempted by our foreign stars looked lame and out of place in the face of a tide of ineptitude from their team mates. If we can get that right, and the new five man midfield including Rowlands and Mahon will certainly help, then this game should be everything I hoped the match with the Blades would be. It promises to be a belter.

Sadly I won’t be joining you all for it - this Saturday I’m paying my first visit to Wembley Stadium with my ‘other woman’ Hull FC. It’s the first QPR league game I’ve missed since Hull last made a major final in 2006 and with the Black and Whites once again embarking on an infuriating experiment to go through an entire season with no half backs - essentially like playing an entire Championship season with nobody in goal - it’s a decision I’ve regretted every second since I bought the tickets. Still, all power to the underdogs in Hoops, good luck to the R’s and you faithful lot heading to Ashton Gate, try and bring us back a point or three, and spare a thought for me back in the capital if the mighty Saints run in a cricket score.

Five minutes on Bristol City
City are embarking on their second season back at this level and in truth they can count themselves unfortunate to still be here – but for a play off final defeat against Hull City they’d be a Premiership side now and we’d be looking forward to our much loved annual trip to the KC Stadium. That final was a pretty drab affair, decided by a spectacular goal by Dean Windass, and didn’t really showcase City’s slick passing football as well as they probably would have liked. They rarely looked like taking the lead, or coming back into the game once they’d gone behind, and for a team that had been there or thereabouts throughout the league campaign and impressed many with the quality of their football that was a shame.

QPR fans probably remember City more from our time together in League One, or the Second Division as we called it back in more sensible times, when the pair shared several keenly contested matches both at Loftus Road and Ashton Gate. Things came to a head in 2003/04 when QPR, led by City figure of hate Ian Holloway, embarked on a promotion campaign at a decent pace, and topped the division after an autumn hammering of nearest challengers Plymouth at Loftus Road. City, under the guidance of Danny Wilson, looked all set for their usual season of under achievement – after relegation from the First Division in 1999 they’d rarely threatened a return. After 20 matches QPR led Plymouth by a point and Brighton by three at the top of the table while City rested in ninth, fully eight points behind.

That gap was maintained in points, if not in league position, right through until January 20 when QPR beat Brighton at Loftus Road. Three days later the R’s were hammered 4-0 at Southend in the Vans Trophy and from there the stutters, stammers and nerves began. Meanwhile City set off on the winning run to end all winning runs – 11 consecutive maximum point hauls to be precise, starting in the middle of December and not ending until the end of February when I went to see them get beaten at Sheffield Wednesday on the day our game at Tranmere was postponed. It was an incredible achievement to haul themselves into contention like that, I remember putting my head in my hands when they bagged a last second winner at Grimsby Town on a cold Tuesday night in the midst of it all and thinking that they were coming good at exactly the right time while we were being all very QPR about it and dying on our arse.

Then came the Tinnion interview that has become legendary among QPR fans. Christ only knows whatever possessed the experienced City midfielder to do it, but it’s funny even now looking back on it. Talking about QPR and Plymouth “running scared”, Bristol City being “in the driving seat” and even the claim that it could “all be over bar the shouting by mid April”. After that City won just four of their last 13 matches. One of those victories came against Plymouth, and another against QPR in a hostile, nasty atmosphere inside and outside the ground, but although they went into the final match with a chance should QPR slip up at Sheff Wed we didn’t and Brighton beat City in the play off final.

City got rid of Wilson as a result and replaced him with Tinnion, who turned out to be about as good a manager as he was an interviewee. They missed the top six altogether in 2004/05 and then in 2005/06 won just one of their first ten matches, including a 7-1 humiliation at Swansea City. Tinnion, bless his cotton socks, resigned the day after and has been trusted with little more than park sides since.

The decline seemed to have well and truly set in, but in replacing Tinnion the City board performed an absolute master stroke by negotiating the release of Yeovil Town manager Gary Johnson. He’d cut his coaching teeth with John Beck at Cambridge United when they came within a whisker of making the fledgling Premier League before enjoying time as the Latvian national football coach.

There’s an old wives tale among QPR fans that Johnson, or at least his son, actually posted on the old qpr.org message board at this time saying he should be given a chance to manage QPR – how much truth there is in that I’ve never been able to find out. Instead he returned to this country first with Yeovil and led the perennial cup giant killers into the league for the first time in their history, and then promoted them again to League One. When he left Huish Park on September 26 Yeovil were tenth, ten places and six points ahead of City who lost that night at Chesterfield and continued to lose despite the arrival of Johnson.

Six more defeats followed to leave the Robins bottom of the table and five points adrift of safety going into December. Things slowly started to turn around though, Johnson helped them first out of the danger area and then, with seven wins from eight games in March and April, they almost made an unlikely play off bid. There’s been no messing about since – they finished second in the table behind Scunthorpe the following season, winning promotion back to the second tier at the eighth attempt and although many tipped them for a season of struggle at the new level last season they were quite superb at times and, as I say, very unfortunate not to win promotion again.

Johnson is, in my opinion, the outstanding managerial talent in the Football League. He gets his team playing superb but uncomplicated football – last season I was lucky enough to witness them taking apart Sheffield United at Ashton Gate and rarely have I seen a team so in tune with each other and playing such stylish football in a game not involving Arsenal. This summer Johnson was all set to reunite Michael Mifsud and Dele Adebola in his attack, a fearsome prospect, but backed out at the last minute for reasons he kept to himself. A week later he spent more than £2m on Nicky Maynard from Crewe and it was then revealed that he likes to give potential signings a job interview to see how they’d fit into his group – Mifsud turned up with agents and lawyers, Maynard arrived with his Mum, and that was enough for Johnson.

In under three years he’s turned the whole side around and they’re now one of this division’s leading lights. I’m amazed Johnson isn’t chased for top flight jobs more often, especially with all the fuss made over the achievements of Paul Ince in League Two which are meagre by comparison. City fans are glad he isn’t though and with him at the helm they’re bound to go close again this season.

Men to watch
May as well start with Maynard as I’ve raised his arrival at Ashton Gate already – yet another promising young talent fresh off the production line at Crewe where he averaged a goal every other game over the past two seasons, 33 strikes in total. City spent £2.25m on him, a club record fee, and he scored a hat trick in his pre-season debut against Royal Antwerp at Ashton Gate. He’s off the mark in the league as well, finishing coolly from close range against Derby in their last home game, and although he missed an absolute sitter at Blackpool we’ll need to watch him closely.

Likewise Steve Brooker who got 32 goals in his first two City seasons after signing from Port Vale but has hardly figured since their promotion through a mixture of injury and poor form. He even spent some time last season on loan at Cheltenham but he’s back with a bang this season with three goals from four sub appearances and one start in all competitions. He’s likely to have to do it all from the bench again this Saturday though as Maynard should be partnered by Dele Adebola – no introduction needed for him, one goal from four starts this season although that looked quite a lot like a foul to me at Coventry last week, six goals in 12 appearances against QPR in his career so far. Lee Trundle, hero of the play off semi final last season but a bit of a flop overall, hardly gets a look in these days.

Further back I’ve always been a big fan of Ivan Sproule who is a very raw and pacy winger but he seems to be used more from the bench than as a starter – watch out for him in the second half perhaps. Michael McIndoe finally seems to have found a permanent home and started to fulfil his potential after several years of swapping and changing clubs with alarming frequency. He rattled through Luton, Hereford, Yeovil, Doncaster, Derby, Barnsley and Wolves in seven years and had plenty of off field problems and fall outs in that time but Johnson has got him right in his head and now his feet are doing the talking. He’s a seriously dangerous winger at this level.

At the back I’m not quite so sure of City. Clearly Brazilian Basso was the best goalkeeper in the league last season, a super shot stopper without any of the flappy, eccentric moments you normally associate with goalkeepers from his part of the world, and Bradley Orr was equally impressive at right back. However at Loftus Road last season the City centre backs looked to be of a Conference standard. Jamie McCombe never did look very good to me when he played for Scunthorpe United and it was mystifying to me that he made it at this level and continues to do so. Louis Carey is about the most secure they have, and Liam Fontaine attracted a lot of attention through his goal scoring exploits last season, or lack of them, and looks steady as well but little else.

The key weak link for me though, if he plays, is left back Jamie McAllister who left the field injured against Crewe and will struggle to mark Emmanuel Ledesma if he shows his form of the last two games.

The star City man for me last season was central midfielder Marvin Elliott – the former Millwall man misses out this weekend with a knee injury. Gavin Williams, who has a goal against QPR to his name from his Ipswich days, will attempt to pull the midfield strings in his absence.

Previous Meetings
These sides last met in February when QPR ran really hot and comprehensively beat promotion chasing City at Loftus Road. Patrick Agyemang continued his outstanding form after signing from Preston by first running through on goal and finishing confidently and then slamming in a second after good work from Akos Buzsaky. Those goals but QPR in control and with City’s two centre halves in really poor form they could have had more but settled for a vintage Buzsaky half volley from long range at the Loft End in the second half to complete the scoring. City hit the inside of the post in the second half through new signing Dele Adebola but they were well beaten on theday.

QPR: Camp 7, Mancienne 8, Stewart 7, Rehman 7 (Connolly 76, 7), Delaney 7, Ephraim 7 (Lee 75, 7), Mahon 7, Buzsaky 7, Rowlands 8, Vine 7 (Leigertwood 89, -), Agyemang 8
Subs Not Used: Crowther, Blackstock
Booked: Rowlands (foul), Vine (diving)
Goals: Agyemang 18 (assisted Vine) 33 (assisted Buzsaky) Buzsaky 63 (assisted Agyemang)

Bristol City: Basso 6, Orr 5, Vasko 3 (Fontaine 46, 5), McCombe 2, McAllister 5, Carle 7 (Sproule 66, 6), Elliott 6, Johnson 5 (Noble 80, 6), McIndoe 6, Byfield 5, Adebola 6
Subs Not Used: Weale, Skuse
Booked: Adebola (repetitive fouling), Fontaine (foul)

Full Match Report

QPR and City met at Ashton Gate on the opening day of last season. The home side was celebrating winning promotion the previous year while QPR were just glad to be there after flirting with relegation in 2006/07. City took the lead midway through the first half after Lee Camp allowed Lee Johnson’s tame shot to squirm through him and into the net but Dexter Blackstock drew the sides level almost immediately. QPR had a good shout for a penalty turned down on the stroke of half time and the outstanding Martin Rowlands hit the woodwork three times in the second half but the game looked to be lost when City sub Scott Murray curled an outstanding long range shot into the top corner from distance in the final minute of the game. Back came QPR despite the City fans and bench celebrating as if the game was won and when Marc Nygaard towered at the back post to meet a cross from Rowlands, Damion Stewart was left with the simple task of heading into the empty net and snatching a draw from the jaws of defeat. QPR fans were ridiculously kept in the ground for half an hour after the match but after snatching an injury time equaliser and watching the crestfallen faces of the thugs in the stand to our right, it wasn’t all bad.

Bristol City: Basso 7 (Henderson 46, 8), Orr 6, Carey 6, Vasko 4 (Fontaine 46 6), McAllister 6, Brian Wilson 7, Johnson 7, Elliott 8, McIndoe 7, Trundle 5 (Murray 79, 7), Showunmi 7
Subs Not Used: Jevons, Russell
Goals: Johnson 33, Murray 90

QPR: Camp 6, Rehman 6, Stewart 7, Mancienne 8, Curtis 6, Rowlands 9, Bolder 8, Bailey 7, Moore 7, Nardiello 7 (Ephraim 59, 7), Blackstock 7 (Nygaard 69, 7)
Subs Not Used: Cole, Bignot, Cullip
Booked: Rowlands (dissent), Nardiello (dissent), Stewart (foul)
Goals: Blackstock 34 (assisted Bolder), Stewart 90 (assisted Nygaard)

Full Match Report

Head to Head:
Bristol City wins – 24
Draws – 21
QPR wins – 29

Past Bristol City v QPR results:
2007/08 QPR 3 Bristol City 0 (Agyemang 2, Buzsaky)
2007/08 Bristol City 2 QPR 2 (Blackstock, Stewart)
2003/04 Bristol City 1 QPR 0
2003/04 QPR 1 Bristol City 1 (Padula)
2002/03 QPR 1 Bristol City 0 (Gallen pen)
2002/03 QPR 0 Bristol City 0 (Vans trophy, City won 5-4 on pens)
2002/03 Bristol City 1 QPR 3 (Connolly 2, Gallen)
2001/02 Bristol City 2 QPR 0
2001/02 QPR 0 Bristol City 0
1998/99 Bristol City 0 QPR 0
1998/99 QPR 1 Bristol City 1 (Ready)

The 2-2 draw at Ashton Gate last season is the featured game in the Connections and Memories column this week. Click here for more details.

Team News
QPR will again be without Fitz Hall who left the field early against Doncaster and has injured his groin again – it’s a three to four week absence for him I’m told so Norwich away looks likely. Akos Buzsaky is back in training but not ready for this week and should be in the squad for the Southampton home match. Rowan Vine is still some way off yet, Birmingham away perhaps for him. Dexter Blackstock was ill for the Carlisle game, likewise Damien Delaney who played anyway and probably regretted it. There’s no news on whether either of those will be available or not this weekend.

Bristol City are giving Jamie McAllister every possible chance to be fit after he was stretchered off against Crewe midweek. That’s their only real injury concern going into this one.
Injury List

Referee
The referee for this one is Darren Deadman from Cambridgeshire and, strangely, he was in charge the last time these two sides met. That game finished 3-0 to QPR and was one of our best performances of last season so here’s hoping for more of the same. This is Deadman’s first Championship match of the season so far.
Details

Elsewhere
Two live matches for television viewers on Saturday – Southampton v Blackpool at lunch time and Watford v Ipswich in the evening. I’d expect the former to turn out to be something of a relegation six pointer while neither Watford nor Ipswich have set the division on fire yet despite most of their fans hoping they’d be at the top end of the league come May. Wolves v Forest looks an attractive fixture, likewise Norwich v Birmingham, and Barnsley v Derby sees two managers under pressure clashing and desperate for points. Our game looks the top fixture again thought I’ve got to say.
Tony’s Championship Preview

Form
Both sides have started the season very strongly with just one defeat from their opening five matches. QPR were nervous in victory against Barnsley on day one, improved against Swindon and then collapsed at Sheff Utd before sweeping aside Doncaster and Carlisle earlier this week. They have scored 11 and conceded six in those matches but have bagged six and conceded none in their past two games.

Bristol City’s surprise 2-0 defeat at Crewe in the League Cup on Tuesday night brought to an end an unbeaten start to the season that had seen them snatch a last minute winner at Blackpool on day one, draw at home to Derby County and comprehensively thrash Coventry at the Ricoh Arena last week. Peterborough United were their first round victims in the League Cup although the League One side led until midway through the second half.
Form Guide

Prediction
Having drawn so many similarities between this game and the Sheff Utd match I suppose I should back City for a handsome victory but I’m actually going to repeat my guess of that match preview and go for a high scoring draw. QPR false started at Bramall Lane and have settled down into a new system and shown real confidence in their own ability since. This will be a seriously tough test, and it wouldn’t surprise me if we were to lose, but in the name of optimism I shall go for a Desmond.
Bristol City 2 QPR 2

Remember to log your predictions in the LoftforWords Prediction League to stay in with a chance of winning one of those oh so expensive QPR season tickets for next year.

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One user has commented on this article. Click here to add your thoughts:

Sir, you describe Johnson as having chosen Nick Maynard over Michael Mifsud because the former turned up with his mum, whereas the latter with agents and lawyers. Surely, this description points to a cynical manager who would rather get players to sign contracts blindly - it's difficult to see how this reflects well on Maynard or Johnson, or inversely on Mifsud. - Justin

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